The Price of Brilliance
by Mughi of Ruckus
Summary: Luxanna Crownguard has proven capable of facing any foe, but what happens when she must face herself?


_Five seconds_ her summoner told her 5.65 seconds before the first of the Noxian champions rematerialized through the fountain. It would take the extra .65 seconds to relay the information, Luxanna Crownguard knew, and Katarina would be the first back. She would waste no time waiting for the others. Lux would be ignored, she felt, and her summoner agreed. Fiora, though, Fiora whose rapier was sending cracks spiderwebbing through the columns of their final turrets and spectral scythes ripping through the minions around her with her rapier, she would be the first Katarina would try to kill. She would be the one they would have to save. "Five seconds!" Lux called.

"There's still time!" Garen shouted. "We can regroup with Jarvan and make the final push at full strength!" Jarvan had been the first and only one of them to die on this assault, pinning back Darius before he could reach Fiora and facing the full wrath of the Noxians for it. Taking the time to unleash their full wrath on him had been Noxus' great mistake. Now Demacia was at the height of what, for good or ill, might be their last push, seconds away from Noxus' nexus but beaten and bloody, surrounded by super-minions and bracing for the Noxian counter-assault.

Lux Considered briefly. Their towers and inhibitors had been destroyed. Jarvan was still rematerializing. The only thing keeping their nexus from being overwhelmed by super-minions was their presence at the Noxian base. If they retreated, there was little chance they'd be in such a strong position again. "It's now or never!" Lux answered. "Hold strong! We can do this!" Garen nodded.

One second, her summoner told her. She gestured to Garen as the penultimate Noxian turret collapsed. Garen feigned. With a cry of "Demacia" he changed position to assault the minions attacking them, as if to prevent them from being overwhelmed. The turret shifted focus to Shyvana. She continued her assault unflinchingly.

Katarina rematerialized on cue. Spotting Garen closest to the Nexus, she flung a dagger at the joints in his armor drawing blood, Shunpoed to him and was immediately tangled in bindings of light.

"Sorry," she said, ignoring the bindings and swinging at Garen. Her swing cut into the wound her earlier dagger had left. Garen staggered. "I can't stay this time. I have people to kill elsewhere."

Garen slammed the pommel of his sword into her chest in response, silencing her. Chagrin filled her face and she swung at Garen again. Lux pulled apart Katarina's Shunpo in her mind. Then Katarina was flashed in by her summoner, and daggers came for them all.

Lux and Shyvana were flashed back by their summoners. Garen collapsed as he turned to tried to reach her, his wounds from the turrets and earlier battle too great when combined with Katarina's assault. Fiora disengaged the nexus and waltzed around Katarina's daggers, gutting the area around the Noxian with her rapier and spectral scythes both. From her new position Lux aimed through Katarina at the fountain where she could see the other Noxian champions beginning to rematerialize. With a cry of "Demacia" her Final spark tore through Katarina, and she fell to the floor, burned and broken. Fiora hacked at the turret a final time, sending it tumbling to the ground.

Without a word, they turned to the nexus. Darius and Mundo were already making their way off the fountain, but they would never reach them in time. Fiora and Shyvana had begun ripping their nexus to pieces. One more swing and...Lux's blood went cold. Fiora's rapier slammed against an unmistakable barrier protecting the nexus from assault. "The inhibitor!" She screamed. Fiora planted the ball of her foot to turn and sprint. Lux squeezed her eyes shut and her mind tumbled into calculations_. If we run now...odds we all survive...fight with both teams missing one person might not go badly...Darius, Mundo and Swain could take front...should be able to neutralize Draven...would kill Fiora...Shyvana's burnout would help her cut a path... _Her eyes opened and she yelled as Fiora completed her turn, "Take the inhibitor then the nexus! It's nearly gone!" Fiora nodded and tried to sprint. She only got two steps before Darius snared her with his axe. She tried to break away, but Darius gripped his axe and jumped after her. Lux shunpoed next to Fiora shielding her with a barrier of light just before the axe landed.

The blow sent Fiora staggering back, nearly killing her, but nearly dead was still alive. "Run!" Luxanna screamed. Fiora lunged away. Luxanna conjured an anomaly of twisted light around Darius and Mundo, slowing them as they tried to run past her; launched a prismatic barrier toward her allies in sync with Draven's axes as they tore through the ground toward them and snared Darius and Mundo with light bindings. She allowed herself a moment to take a breath and was met with Darius' axe the next as Darius and Mudo turned to finish her first instead. She turned to run. A cleaver slammed into her back and her vision blurred for a moment. Stay strong. She thought to Fiora and Shyvana and turned to face her attackers. Darius pulled his axe back to ready a swing then was sent tumbling back through the air as a roaring dragon slammed into its bearer and his companion with her talons. "No!" She screamed. "The inhibitor!"

"Fiora has it!" Shyvana growled, and as if on cue she heard the inhibitor collapse as its destruction was announced. "I need to keep you alive."

Mundo began laughing maniacally. "Mundo kills who he pleases!"

"You're going nowhere madman." Shyvana said and cleaved at him with her jaws, sending frost spiderwebbing down his legs, slowing him.

"Focus the nexus!" Lux screamed and ran to meet Fiora, who had cut around Darius and Mundo on her way there. Half way, talons reached up through the ground and pinned their legs.

"Where you hurrying to beautiful?" Draven taunted as he hurled an axe at Fiora.

"Your end." She answered, parrying it.

"You're breaking my heart here!"

"A pity it's not broken yet."

Fiora began attacking minions, stealing their life to survive Draven's assault when a curse afflicted her as ravens began pecking at her. Behind her, Luxanna heard Shyvana scream in pain. She stared ahead. _Just one hit._ She thought desperately. _Please just let Fiora survive long enough for one hit. _Her answer came in an inhuman screech as a ravenous flock of ravens filled the air centered on an enormous raven flapping its wings where a crippled man once stood. Luxanna smiled as the last piece clicked in her mind. It was over. In a flash Luxana was gone, replaced by an enormous bird of pure luminescence. Smaller birds flew from her, tiny photosphoenices, searing her enemies and shielding her allies. The talons on the floor lost their grip. Injured, but alive, Fiora lunged toward the minion nearest the nexus and thrust. The Noxian nexus exploded with eldritch energy. Demacia won.


End file.
